Data Foundation

Join us on 4/9 at 1PM ET for a webinar that will delve into the Data Foundation's new report on the impact of the #EvidenceAct on education and workforce data systems and the five major challenge areas preventing integrated data systems: ?? Data standards ?? Organizational silos ?? Resource limitations ?? Data access barriers ?? Privacy concerns This session will explore actionable recommendations for federal agencies and Congress to tackle these challenges and help transform how we use data to improve outcomes for students and workers nationwide. Learn more & register here: https://buff.ly/PxYK2nx

?? Privacy Enhancing Technologies: The Future of Education Data Sharing? At a recent legal convening hosted by Georgetown's Massive Data Institute, Data Foundation, and Future of Privacy Forum, experts explored how PETs can enable valuable research while protecting student privacy under FERPA. Key insights include: ?? Redefining "disclosure" in the digital age ?? Determining ownership of PET-generated records ?? Bridging the knowledge gap between legal and technical experts Avery Freeman captured the nuances of this complex intersection of law, technology, and education policy. Read the full article:https://buff.ly/nRtQJaV

Data Foundation President and CEO Nick Hart, Ph.D. is delivering the keynote this week at the Marc Holzer Public Performance Symposium during #ASPA2025. Stay tuned for more insights about approaches to management during the Age of Emerging Technologies from his remarks!

At our recent Capital Factory event in Austin, health experts, policymakers, and entrepreneurs came together to tackle a critical question: How can data and technology improve American health outcomes? The conversations revealed that transforming healthcare isn't just about collecting more data — it's about sustained commitment, community trust, and collaboration. Our event recap explores these challenges and the collaborative solutions being developed by panelists. Read our full recap to learn how breaking down data silos and building community trust can transform how we care for health, nutrition, and wellness. Link >> https://buff.ly/jsN4mSx #HealthInnovation #Nutrition #DataForGood #PolicyImpact

The Data Foundation responded to the White House's new Executive Order on "Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos" with recommendations for both the Office of Management and Budget and congressional oversight committees. While we strongly support breaking down information silos that impede government effectiveness, we emphasize the need for implementation that preserves established data governance frameworks. Our approach aligns the EO with the Federal Data Strategy's principles of ethical governance, conscious design, and learning culture. Read our statement and recommendations: https://lnkd.in/efaFZ_8e Letter to OMB: https://lnkd.in/eg-sH-WC Letter to Congressional Oversight Committees: https://lnkd.in/edkRiu4y #DataGovernance #FederalDataStrategy #GovernmentEfficiency #Privacy #DataSharing

Yesterday at the Data Foundation, we released our first report on how recent administrative actions have impacted the nation's capacity to produce and use data and evidence in policymaking and beyond. Bringing together findings from our SAFE-Track initiative, organizational research, and engagement with our communities, our Evidence Capacity Pulse Report documents significant changes to federal systems and the broader public-private ecosystem. We greatly appreciate the contributions of our partners towards capturing a complete picture of how America's data and evaluation infrastructure is evolving during a rapidly changing time. We will continue monitoring changes, so keep an eye out for our next Evidence Capacity Pulse Report in mid-April 2025. If you are aware of changes to federal activities that may not be captured here, let us know through our confidential SAFE-Track portal: https://lnkd.in/evC3fuh7 ?? Press release: https://lnkd.in/eacJyfwF ?? Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eSDBkdKK #Evaluation #DataPolicy #OpenData #DataGovernance

?? NEW: Evidence Capacity Pulse Report - March 19, 2025 The Data Foundation just released our first Evidence Capacity Pulse Report, tracking significant changes in America's data and evaluation infrastructure. ?? Key Finding: Recent organizational changes across federal agencies and private sector firms are resulting in significant structural shifts in America's evidence infrastructure, affecting both the workforce and operational capacity for data collection, analysis, and evaluation activities. ?? As Sara Stefanik our Director of Evidence Capacity says in the release: The report "provides a factual assessment of changes occurring within the federal data and evaluation ecosystem. As we monitor these developments, we're particularly focused on documenting changes to ongoing research and evaluation projects, workforce transitions, and shifts in data governance. Our role is to objectively track these changes and provide the evidence community with reliable information about how America's data infrastructure is evolving." The Evidence Capacity Pulse Report documents impacts across multiple federal agencies, including: -- Elimination of evaluation units at several agencies -- Significant reductions in statistical agency personnel -- Changes to data access and availability -- Widespread cancellation of research and evaluation contracts The Data Foundation will continue to monitor these developments, with our next update scheduled for mid-April. ?? Press release: https://lnkd.in/d24UEByZ ?? Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/dBtAtQZc #DataPolicy #EvidenceBased #FederalData #Statistics #Evaluation #DataGovernance #OpenData #CDO #Eval #Privacy

?? NEW: Evidence Capacity Pulse Report - March 19, 2025 The Data Foundation just released our first Evidence Capacity Pulse Report, tracking significant changes in America's data and evaluation infrastructure. ?? Key Finding: Recent organizational changes across federal agencies and private sector firms are resulting in significant structural shifts in America's evidence infrastructure, affecting both the workforce and operational capacity for data collection, analysis, and evaluation activities. ?? As Nick Hart, Ph.D. our CEO says in the release: "The Data Foundation's analysis documents significant organizational changes affecting America's evidence-building capacity. As a non-partisan organization committed to advancing evidence-informed policymaking, we are carefully tracking how these shifts may impact the availability of data and evaluation resources that inform decision-making across government." The Evidence Capacity Pulse Report documents impacts across multiple federal agencies, including: -- Elimination of evaluation units at several agencies -- Significant reductions in statistical agency personnel -- Changes to data access and availability -- Widespread cancellation of research and evaluation contracts The Data Foundation will continue to monitor these developments, with our next update scheduled for mid-April. ?? Press release: https://lnkd.in/d24UEByZ ?? Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/dX77PGEM #DataPolicy #EvidenceBased #OpenData #Statistics

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 marked a transformative moment for evaluation in the United States. In our Evaluation Series event in collaboration , Nick Hart, Ph.D., the President & CEO of The Data Foundation, examined the evolving landscape of federal evaluation policy and practice in the US and reflected on evidence-informed practices during transition periods. Professor Robert P. Shepherd, PhD, CE, Carleton University provided discussant remarks. Watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/ezzMK2rY

America’s data strategy is entering a pivotal phase where technology and trusted frameworks are converging to drive economic growth. In this insightful Forbes article by Nick Hart, Ph.D., President & CEO, Data Foundation, the spotlight is on initiatives like the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) System, which is reducing costs and bolstering security in financial services. At GLEIF, we believe that standardizing identifiers is key to fostering innovation, enhancing transparency, and building lasting trust in our digital economy. ?? Discover how thoughtful evolution in data governance is creating new markets and improving services: https://lnkd.in/dXs_arni #LEI #Data #DataStrategy #Innovation #USA #DigitalTransformation #DataGovernance